Growth puts pressure on

Changes to the Local Government Act and ''almost
unparalleled'' growth in the Queenstown Lakes district have
made a review of three council-controlled organisations more
pressing, the district's mayor says.

Vanessa van Uden yesterday confirmed a comprehensive
operations review would be undertaken from January 27. Staff
were advised yesterday.

The population over the next 15 years is predicted to more
than double the average daily figure of 35,000 and the peak
daily population of 68,000, she said, and the council had a
responsibility to provide a range of services at the least
possible cost to ratepayers.

The review terms of reference state an objective ''to ensure
that QLDC has the right people, in the right places and right
numbers, with the right skills and experiences, and supported
by the right organisational structure, who are focused on the
right activities''.

The council's new chief executive, Adam Feeley, told last
week's Destination Queenstown quarterly update the council
needed to ''go back to basics'' to determine what the right
particulars were.

The review would comprise three components:

organisational reviews of QLDC activities, and of Lakes
Environmental, plus a review of the corporate and support
services of Lakes Leisure.

The operational services of Lakes Leisure and the Queenstown
Airport Corporation are excluded from review.

The review's primary focus includes infrastructure services,
communications, regulatory services, such as consents,
parking, liquor licensing and libraries. It will also look at
secondary issues: community housing, toilets, cemeteries,
forestry, waterways and district promotion. A property
management review will be a separate chief executive project.

The review team comprises Peter Winder (chairman), Shirley
Flaherty (project director and reviewer) along with John
Kyle, Warren Warfield and Mike West (reviewers).

In March the Government announced its intention to alter the
legislative framework under which councils operate.

Ms van Uden said the purpose of local government ''and the
scope of core services have been fundamentally changed'' and
the council needed to ensure its activities matched
expectations under new law.

The review was a clear expectation for Mr Feeley, who started
as chief executive in October, Ms van Uden said.